Reviewing The Batman Strikes! #34 and #40
Sep. 12th, 2008 11:29 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ladybug_archiveSo, a week or so ago I bought issues #34 and #40 of The Batman Strikes! comic based on my beloved The Batman TV show. I already had #17, in a trade paperback that featured issues #11-#14 and #16-#18. Yeah, I don't know why #15 was skipped. Anyway, so #17, #34, and #40 are The Riddler issues. X3 #34 and #40 came today. Well, yesterday now.
#17 is LOVE. The Riddler robs a military establishment and steals some thermal photograph technology to unmask The Batman by taking a picture of him and then gradually unveiling the mask in the picture to show what's underneath. Batman and Yin chase him all over the city. It feels like an episode of the TV show, as does #34. #17 is the only one of the three issues, however, that doesn't feel like it ends too soon. There's a lot going on and there's time to show everything that needs to be shown. I feel like the other two should have been longer.
#34 has The Riddler reluctantly teamed up with a big robot that thinks it's the Joker. LOL. The Riddler wants to beat the thing and prove he's the true Riddler. The computer was programmed by Hugo Strange to have traits of every villain, so it also thinks it's best at riddling. LOL. They have some amazing banter at the beginning. The Riddler asks when DAVE (the computer) was last defragmented and later asks if he's ever heard of a virus scanner. LOLOLOL. And the Riddler wears black nail polish! Oh gosh, I LOVE that. ♥
There were still oddities, though.... Mainly that Batman addressed the Riddler as "Nygma" (well, he said "Nigma", but that doesn't look as pretty), when it was never revealed in the comics or the corresponding TV show what his last name is. At least, it was not ever shown, and I was annoyed that it never was. That comic was out after the Riddler's Revenge episode, however, but I like to think it took place before it. XD There's no real timeline for the comics. However, if it did take place after, then it could be said that Batman would know the Riddler's last name. Julie probably told it, even if the Riddler never did. Or Batman could have looked up the sabotage incident in the newspaper after hearing the Riddler's story.
I did like that little name bit for one reason, though: it proves I'm correct that Batman would address the Riddler as "Nygma" upon knowing his true identity. X3
#40 is ... odd. The cover picture is AMAZING, featuring Batman and Batgirl (who isn't even in the actual story, WTH) breaking through a crossword puzzle. The Riddler is standing there smirking saying "Welcome to the Riddler's puzzle, Batman!" The story doesn't have much to do with the cover. The crossword is an incidental thing, everything's blowing up, and the Riddler is trying to drop clues to lead the Batman to where the Joker is holding hostage the Riddler's favorite guard from Arkham. The Joker is blackmailing the Riddler into committing crimes more like the Joker would do and bringing him the stolen goods. The Riddler is trying to get there himself to save the girl, but is arrested again before he can. But thanks to his clues, Batman and Robin rescue her.
I already knew the story in #40 was a bit odd, and I guessed at most of it from sample pages found on![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
scans_daily. However, it did have *a lot* of potential and I wish it had been written better. I also wish Chris Jones had been able to illustrate. XD; He only did the cover, and the guy who did illustrate the actual story ... doesn't draw a very flattering Riddler.
I also wish the story had corresponded more to the cover picture. I was thinking about it and wondering if I could write a fic that really utilizes the crossword puzzle. XD; Because a crossword puzzle mystery would be so COOL!
One thing I did like was that there was actually a Bible reference. The Riddler poses an Abel and Cain riddle to the Batman. X3 That was very unexpected and cool.
I got myself the Riddler figure, too. X3 He's a bit smaller than I thought **was picturing more like the big YGO Mattel figures**, and he could use more articulation (which I already knew about), but I like him. ^^ Collecting is fun.
I've also been thinking and wondering if I could crossplay the Riddler for Halloween. X3 For once, I could actually use my own hair, and it's about the right length. LOL. I'd probably have him wear something more like the suit that other Riddlers have worn, but without any purple and no ties at all. XD The Batman's Riddler likes green and black, not green and purple. Mom has a green jacket I could borrow. I'm waiting for stores to get in their Halloween stuff to see what else I could dig up. I'd like to have the dark green lipstick, but in the case of not being able to find it, I can at least have the tattoo marks with some black makeup I got the first year I was Marik. And I'll paint my nails black again. Buwahaha.
#17 is LOVE. The Riddler robs a military establishment and steals some thermal photograph technology to unmask The Batman by taking a picture of him and then gradually unveiling the mask in the picture to show what's underneath. Batman and Yin chase him all over the city. It feels like an episode of the TV show, as does #34. #17 is the only one of the three issues, however, that doesn't feel like it ends too soon. There's a lot going on and there's time to show everything that needs to be shown. I feel like the other two should have been longer.
#34 has The Riddler reluctantly teamed up with a big robot that thinks it's the Joker. LOL. The Riddler wants to beat the thing and prove he's the true Riddler. The computer was programmed by Hugo Strange to have traits of every villain, so it also thinks it's best at riddling. LOL. They have some amazing banter at the beginning. The Riddler asks when DAVE (the computer) was last defragmented and later asks if he's ever heard of a virus scanner. LOLOLOL. And the Riddler wears black nail polish! Oh gosh, I LOVE that. ♥
There were still oddities, though.... Mainly that Batman addressed the Riddler as "Nygma" (well, he said "Nigma", but that doesn't look as pretty), when it was never revealed in the comics or the corresponding TV show what his last name is. At least, it was not ever shown, and I was annoyed that it never was. That comic was out after the Riddler's Revenge episode, however, but I like to think it took place before it. XD There's no real timeline for the comics. However, if it did take place after, then it could be said that Batman would know the Riddler's last name. Julie probably told it, even if the Riddler never did. Or Batman could have looked up the sabotage incident in the newspaper after hearing the Riddler's story.
I did like that little name bit for one reason, though: it proves I'm correct that Batman would address the Riddler as "Nygma" upon knowing his true identity. X3
#40 is ... odd. The cover picture is AMAZING, featuring Batman and Batgirl (who isn't even in the actual story, WTH) breaking through a crossword puzzle. The Riddler is standing there smirking saying "Welcome to the Riddler's puzzle, Batman!" The story doesn't have much to do with the cover. The crossword is an incidental thing, everything's blowing up, and the Riddler is trying to drop clues to lead the Batman to where the Joker is holding hostage the Riddler's favorite guard from Arkham. The Joker is blackmailing the Riddler into committing crimes more like the Joker would do and bringing him the stolen goods. The Riddler is trying to get there himself to save the girl, but is arrested again before he can. But thanks to his clues, Batman and Robin rescue her.
I already knew the story in #40 was a bit odd, and I guessed at most of it from sample pages found on
scans_daily. However, it did have *a lot* of potential and I wish it had been written better. I also wish Chris Jones had been able to illustrate. XD; He only did the cover, and the guy who did illustrate the actual story ... doesn't draw a very flattering Riddler.I also wish the story had corresponded more to the cover picture. I was thinking about it and wondering if I could write a fic that really utilizes the crossword puzzle. XD; Because a crossword puzzle mystery would be so COOL!
One thing I did like was that there was actually a Bible reference. The Riddler poses an Abel and Cain riddle to the Batman. X3 That was very unexpected and cool.
I got myself the Riddler figure, too. X3 He's a bit smaller than I thought **was picturing more like the big YGO Mattel figures**, and he could use more articulation (which I already knew about), but I like him. ^^ Collecting is fun.
I've also been thinking and wondering if I could crossplay the Riddler for Halloween. X3 For once, I could actually use my own hair, and it's about the right length. LOL. I'd probably have him wear something more like the suit that other Riddlers have worn, but without any purple and no ties at all. XD The Batman's Riddler likes green and black, not green and purple. Mom has a green jacket I could borrow. I'm waiting for stores to get in their Halloween stuff to see what else I could dig up. I'd like to have the dark green lipstick, but in the case of not being able to find it, I can at least have the tattoo marks with some black makeup I got the first year I was Marik. And I'll paint my nails black again. Buwahaha.
